Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-08
THE LEWIS HOMICIDE.
Additional Particulars Statement
John t. de Ascedo

Additional Particulars = Statement o
John t. de Ascedo.
| The Yolo Mail of yesterday mornin,
| gave the following additional particular
relative to the recent homicide in YolC
county, about opposite Freeport: Franl
Lewis, or French Louie" the murdered
man, had wife and three children, anC
his house was near the river. He was
fisherman and possessed scow, which HI
usually moored at a landing, to which {
roadway led from his house. On the nigh
| he was killed his wife sent him down tc
| the scow to get some dishes. This was
about o'clock. While going down to the
| boat, following the road, the assassin ly.
| ing in ambush, deliberately fired charge
of shot into his head. The evidence is
pretty clear that the murderer had lain in
wait for his victim for hours in position
| that cut off Lewis path from his house to
his boat. When the Coroner arrived We'd
nesday morning he found five-chambered
revolver lying near the dead man, with
| four chambers empty. There is room to
entertain the suspicion that the pistol may
have been put where it was found as a ruse.
A HAL reporter had an interview Thurs
day evening with John 7. de Ascedo, who
admits that he killed Lewis, and is now in
Woodland Jail, and received from him the
following statement.
:" have lived near Freeport for sixteen
or seventeen years first knew Frank Lewis
about the same time. My wife died about
four years ago. | have two sons-one is 81
years old-aud daughter years old. l
own 20-acre farm on the river, and am
engaged in gardening. Frank Lewis lived
near me. He owned an acre and a half,
and was fisherman. About seven years
ago l had trouble with him about my
chickens. which strayed onto his place.
He would kill my chickens and throw
them into the road. We talked to each
other pretty rough at the time, since which
l have never spoken to him, nor he to me.
Two weeks ago he killed my dog. If my
dog had bit him or bothered him, it would
have been different. He had no cause to
kill my dog. never said anything to him
about his killing the dog. Some of my
friends told me they heard my dog cry
when Frank, shot it, and l tracked the dog
by the blood along the fence, and found it
dead in the brush. Some friends told me
that that - thing (meaning Lewis) said
he would kill me anywhere he met me,
Just as he killed my dog. 1 have good
proof of that. Tuesday evening l went
down to the river with my shotgun to
shoot some night owls which were catching
my chickens. Didn't see any owls, and
started to go home. Just as l was coming
out of the brush from the river Frank
came up; he was about twenty steps
away. As soon as he saw me he shot
at me with a pistol. l then shot at him
with my shotgun. Frank kept coming
toward me, shooting all the time; he shot
ba trio ff,l hi I-o
-. l kept backing away, and when he
shot four times shot at him again, and he
Tell. His pistol fell at his feet, and they
found it there-four empty chambers in it
and one more loaded. He was bad man
the worst on the river-quarreled all the
time with his neighbors; never saw such a
bad man like that. / knew If | didn't kill
him he would kill me. Am &c years old ;
never had any trouble like this before.
Wouldn't you do the same as did? My
gun was a muzzle-loader, loaded with
small shot. Was all alone on the river at
the time of the shooting, which occurred
between 6 and o'clock. After the shoot
ing, went home and went to bed. Some
neighbors came to my house and asked
what was the matter, and l told them, oh,
nothing a man shot at me and l shot
him. Wednesday noon l went to Joe
>, anu NC 4uC W W OOuidllu
Lewis had three children; the oldest is
about 10 years. He was younger man
than l. The shooting occurred near my
lower line on the road leading down the
river Don't know where Frank was going
when / met him; he had scow On the
river; he might have been going down
to it."
During the course of his narration AS
cedo would manifest the bitterness of his
feelings toward the dead man. Once he
said, THAT - thing.(meaning Lewis,
every night he would go out on the road
and try to kill my dog or cat with that -
- pistol, like a fool. Every night he
was out on the road trying to shoot some
thing. / would rather have lost fifty dol
lars than that dog; it was a fine hunting
and watch dog. He had been trying to kill
my dog for long time. After he killed
my dog he said he would kill me too. This
is the first time was ever in place like
this, and it makes me feel sick. He had a
hot temper and would have killed me. 1t
is bad thing to kill man. If l was dead
l wouldn't have this trouble; it would be
better for me- If hadn't killed him right
there he would have killed me some time,
perhaps the same day. l could whip him
with my hands, but if l had done so it
would not have ended he could have
burnt my house, shot my anything.
Understand-too bad for me-by and by
I will get q rope around nv neck"